Discussion

Seeking a store with a nice tea selection in Seattle

I just moved to Seattle from San Francisco and am having a hard time finding a store with a nice variety of affordable tea. The Cost Plus/World Market stores in CA have a wonderful assortment of brands and flavors but I have yet to find something similar up here. I have heard of a few shops that sell loose teas (one in Ballard but I think it's $$$ and one at Pike's Market which I haven't tried yet) but would love to see what other users come up with. Thank you for your help!

I suppose, if you like World Market, you will not be interested in this, but other readers might: Teahouse Kuan Yin on 45th in Wallingford has the best selection of teas I've found in Seattle. They will cost you more than supermarkets and chain outlets, but the quality is much, much higher, and the prices are reasonable for what you get. It is not Tao of Tea in that respect, for instance. (ToT has some nice leaf, but you really pay.) There is a range at Kuan Yin, and you can drink decent stuff even at the low end.

There is also the newly expanded Tea Cup on Queen Anne. They aren't a teahouse per se, but have a lounge area similar to a coffee house and a wide variety (and price range) of teas. I am not a tea expert, but one of the Monsoon staff told me that they have the best jasmine pearl selection in seattle.